Lalalaa! Hi guys! I'm glad to have been able to get this chapter out within the Thanksgiving break. Yes, I kept a promise! –kisses last chapter's footnotes- Thanks for the inspiration guys!
Some notes before this chapter!
I changed the rules of the approaching game, so that the green light only lights up seven times within the game. Meaning, if there goes a time that NO ONE steps up to the podium to escape…the game is automatically failed. Yikes.
I hope you guys are having the awesomest of Thanksgiving! : ) Hopefully not sabotaged by the Mole.
Okay, besides that…carry on! The game begins…
EPISODE 4 (PART 4)
With the host gone, there was only the tick of the clock from the other side of the cave's hollow life that let them know that their game had begun. They stood next to each other against the wall of the cave, all seven players in a formed line of uneasy will and distrust. They were left at the mercy of the other players in their game.
Tiny Kong: There was no way we could get through this game safely. Not with an exemption right there in grab for anyone.
"I just want to get out of here," Tiny Kong said, looking at the others one by one. "Come on guys! The cave is…so cold."
"Easier said than done," Dashell replied, voice echoing through the cave.
"Wait, so let me get this straight," Dry Bones began, "We have to decide someone to walk across this floor one at a time? To press that button?" The host's words, spoken to them over five minutes ago, were still in their head.
"It was said that we are only to cross when a green light is emitting," Éclair remembered, looking at the other side worried. "And it will only light…seven times." Everyone understood silently.
"Okay, that's no problem," Dry Bones said, shooting a smile at his opponents. "I'll be there first one to volunteer-"
"Hah!" Piantissimo shouted, giving him a stare. "You are not going to simply get away with an exemption like that. A clever but nice try, Mr. Secar." Dry Bones' mouth dropped.
"What!" Dry Bones exclaimed in denial. "What makes you think I'm just going to grab for the exemption? I'm going to press the button!" No one said anything.
"Are you really going to press that button when you actually approach the pedestal…or will you be tempted?" Dashell said to him. "It's hard to say unless you're finally up there." Dry Bones looked at him, not knowing what to say.
"Whoever's going first isn't going to press that button to escape. They're going to grab that exemption. Temptation, man." They all stood in silence in the ice-walled cave.
"I won't," Snifit spoke up. "I already have an exemption. I have no incentive in grabbing it." Most of the players turned to him in sudden realization.
"Wait, wait, wait," Dry Bones said, stepping forwards in front of Snifit. "I'm not letting you do that." Snifit, instead of being phased, just stood in place on the ice floor.
"Why not? I have no need for it."
"You might just take it so that NONE of us could escape," Dry Bones said smartly. Snifit stood where he was, a bit silent.
"I wouldn't do that."
"Neither will I let you…so, frankly, sorry!" Zess seemed to laugh.
"Then, what's the point of this game?" Zess said, throwing up her arms in the air and laughing. "We're all pretty much not going to trust anyone! So no one is going to get across." They thought on their words for a second.
"We must choose someone to walk across this cave…that we all trust," Éclair said softly. "We must all agree on one person we all trust. Someone who will press the button instead of take the exemption…
"…but that is so difficult to decide," Dry Bones finished, looking at everyone else. "Unless we think it over."
"Well, what are we waiting for then, guys?" Tiny voiced up, facing her teammates one by one. "Let's choose someone that we all trust! I just want to get out of this cave, and fast!" They all looked at each other once again.
"Well, it surely isn't going to be me, because Piantissimo doesn't trust me," Dry Bones said, his voice in a sulking manner.
"Neither me," Snifit said blankly.
"I am honestly fine with you two going...as long as you promise on your left bone toe that you will in fact not select the exemption," Piantissimo told him.
"Let's vote," Zess said, looking at her teammates. "Or draw straws! Or just do something to settle this out." All of a sudden, there was a loud beep, and all seven players jumped. On the other side of the cave, a light that shined so brightly out to them and glistened against the walls of the icy cave became present to them. It was the first beacon of escape, and the players, caught off guard, turned to each other.
"One minute…" Dashell said, looking at it carefully. "We have one minute to decide one of us to cross, before that light shuts off."
"If we don't choose someone now, we're all doomed!" Tiny Kong said, turning to her teammates in panic. "Let's choose fast!" The green light of the button shined on, and Zess coughed out loud.
"I think Snifit, who really has no self-gratitude in taking the exemption other than screwing us over, should go first," Zess proposed, as Snifit turned to her in surprise.
"I don't have to," he said quickly, caught off guard.
"What! After betraying our team and being so suspicious, you trust his will to not touch the exemption?" Dry Bones said out loud with disbelief.
"We have no choice," Zess said, as she pushed Snifit forwards. "Go, fast! Press the green button!" Snifit began to walk across the icy floor, slow steps at first, then larger as he made his way across. All players seemed to become alert in surprise.
"Wait…no!" Dry Bones interrupted, a little hesitant himself and stepping forwards, but Dashell grabbed him before he could step more.
"He's already on his way," Dashell said in a serious voice, holding him back. "You take one step…and this entire floor will crack with us on it. And no one, except for the Mole, would win." Dry Bones suddenly stopped struggling.
"The green button, Snifit! The green button! Help us get out of here!" They all watched Snifit, by himself, walk towards the end of the cave. Six pairs of eyes stared him back, as Snifit was in arm's reach of whatever was upon the pedestal.
"Do you believe…" Tiny watched him, her eyes widening. "Oh no...he better not take the exemption..."
"Don't worry girl, he'll press the button," Zess said, teeth clenched but still unsure. Snifit looked at the items upon the pedestal.
Snifit: I had a lot of thoughts. But the first thing I had to do was gain the trust of the others. I don't think taking the exemption…would be a good move.
Snifit pressed the green button. All players sighed individually.
CLICK! The metal door, slowly like gears in a clock, opened up much to Snifit's own surprise. The other six players and he saw the entrance that was of cold air, entering into the cave, and the starry sky could be seen to them. They longed for the freedom, but for the second, it belonged to Snifit.
"Thank you…err, I'll be back at the cabin." The players started to shift out slowly into the outside air, out the metal door. The remaining players simply watched him go.
Dashell: Snifit probably surprised a lot of people, with not taking the exemption. I think he should have taken it, when he had the opportunity. Maybe he wants our trust.
The metal door failed to close right away.
"For crying out loud...they can at least close the metal door already!" Zess hollered. "Sheesh, can you believe the pin-head game designers? This cave is already dead-cold! The air continued to flow in, and after a few seconds, it shut closed. But the only thing on the minds of the players was how much colder it got within the room.
Tiny: We all had to get out of this cave. Before…we froze to death.
They all stood against their respective parts of the wall. Six players left, they could only discuss on the next set of moves. Or at least, one of them to make the next set of moves in their game of possible treachery.
"It's just…really cold and I want to get out of there," Tiny Kong voiced up with complain in her voice. "This game is...ridiculous."
"Well, who wants to go next?" Zess spoke up, looking at the others.
"It's not a matter of who wants to go next," Dry Bones spoke, glaring at Piantissimo. "It's who would let you go next. And I don't think Piantissimo wants me going next." Piantissimo gave Dry Bones a smirk, but then shook his head.
"This game is absolutely about trust," Dashell spoke. "And at the moment, I can declare that I don't trust any of you to not take that exemption. Not...even myself." Tiny Kong rolled her eyes.
Tiny Kong: It was like in the Exemption or Bust game in Episode 2. Who did you trust to get the exemption? Who did you not trust?
"Well, we played nowhere near those philosophical terms five minutes ago," Tiny Kong said to him. "Snifit just ran across without discussion!"
"Yeah, sending Snifit across was a risky move," Dashell said, facing to Zess. "I wouldn't have done that without at least discussing it." Zess folded her arms.
"Well, that fellow has an exemption already," Zess said with a frown. "Right? What was the harm? At least get one person out!" The group only looked at the pedestal, then to each other.
"I think on the next person, we should at least…think a little," Tiny said, facing Zess.
Tiny: She sort of just pushed Snifit across. What was the good in that?
Then, the green light lit up.
BEEP! The players' eyes widened, and Dashell stepped forwards.
"Who here is the coldest?" Dashell spoke up. "Cause I'm not and I can stay here. Who here has been complaining about the cold the most?"
"Tiny?" Everyone turned to Tiny Kong, who looked back at the others. Dry Bones looked confused.
"What does that validate?" Dry Bones asked questionably.
"Whoever's cold probably just wants to get out," Dashell said, "and I don't think even the Mole would be that evil to let the rest inside a cave that they found unbearable themself."
"Umm, I guess?" Tiny Kong said, stepping forwards slowly.
"You have to convince as first that you're not going to take the exemption and leave us all here," Piantissimo spoke up, not convinced yet. Tiny Kong faced the others.
"From the beginning, all I've wanted us to do is just get out safely," Tiny Kong said to them. "This isn't worth it: freezing someone else. And plus, we can get 25,000 coins out of this if we do it together. Don't you guys want to win?" She looked at the door, then back at the players.
"I wouldn't leave you guys here and sabotage this mission. You're my opponents, but also my friends!" Most of the players seemed accepting of Tiny Kong's speech.
Dashell: It was convincing, her innocence. But you never know how tricky the Mole could be, and Tiny Kong...I don't know what to think of her. She's borderline on crossing onto the suspicious side for things she's done.
"Go go go, before it turns off!" Zess yelled, as Tiny Kong took further steps forwards across the ice that had formed. She took it with rushed uncertainty, and then slowly and slowly she walked until she reached the pedestal on the cave's other side. Everyone held their breaths.
"You better not take that exemption, Ms. Kong" Piantissimo said out loud after her as she walked forwards. Tiny Kong looked at all of them for the second.
"This...is so weird." She looked down, the exemption right in her view, and she felt a small sense of temptation.
Tiny Kong: Really, being faced there with the choice of surviving into another episode…I won't lie and say that for the smallest second, there was an urge for me to take it. But I didn't need it.
Shaking her head, Tiny Kong reached to press the green button.
"She pressed the button," Dashell whispered. The metal door, with heavy sound and motion, opened up again, and Tiny looked back at the players before leaving.
"Please, just all get out of this cave! An exemption isn't worth this cold…and I'm sure the Mole thinks the same thing too." Tiny Kong with a quick look, left the area, headed back to the cabin for her own relief. Five players, at an even dire circumstance than ever before, were left.
It had been almost half an hour since the seven of them had entered into the cave. Now, the air was noticeably more frigid. The five remaining players noticed the increased coldness in the cave.
"This temperature…" Zess, back against the ice cold of the cave's wall, seemed to be trying to keep her own stance of warmth by running her hands together.
"Putting your back against the ice wall like that will just make you colder," Dashell wanted to point out to the older lady, but she already knew.
"With a back aching this much, I'd rather have something cold to lean on than nothing at all," she said in a tired yet still determined voice for her age. Dashell nodded slowly. The group of five seemed to be in a silent trance, almost caused by the cave's increased ill-temperature of freezing cold.
"You should go back in," Dashell spoke up to Zess. "Do you want to go next?" All of a sudden, Piantissimo and Dry Bones both perked up from their dead positions, suddenly attentive and prepared.
Dashell: All of a sudden, when I suggested someone to go up to the podium, everyone was up and alert. Because they didn't want that exemption to have the possibility of being taken.
"Wait, you have been sending people one by one," Piantissimo fought up. "How about it be my turn to send someone? I need to choose someone I trust!"
"You'd simply choose yourself," Zess retorted with a laugh. Piantissimo looked at her, offended.
"Pfft, just because I'm an old lady doesn't mean I don't have the skills to survive in this atmosphere," Zess said, showing disapproval to the others in leaving. "I can stay here quite a bit." They all seemed lost on who to send next.
"Éclair, would you like to go inside?" Dashell brought up, and everyone turned to the princess who was quietly sitting down on the icy ground. She seemed weak from the cold.
"Yes, I would like to," she began, but then she turned to Zess.
"There are more people who deserve to not have this upon them. People whom would be unlawful to keep out in this…dreadful cave. Zess does not deserve to be in this cave."
"Putting the welfare of the people before yourself," Piantissimo said with a chuckle. "Like a true princess." Dashell gave a stare of annoyance to Piantissimo.
"Very well." Everyone turned back to Zess.
"Wait, why doesn't anyone suggest me?" Dry Bones said almost in a whine. "I know I'm not elderly, but I'm really cold! And I'm the person who wanted to get out of here in the first place!"
"And that, my friend, is what makes you suspicious," Piantissimo told him, as Dry Bones moaned.
"Okay, Zess," Dashell said, pointing a finger up. "One vote."
"And from me as well." Éclair nodded, and she raised her hand up as well. Piantissimo reluctantly put up his hand.
"We're voting for you, so that means that we trust you to not take the exemption," Piantissimo reminded her, as Zess seemed to brush it off with no concern.
"You'll see what I'll do." She stood up, and at that exact second, a loud buzz rang through the air. Zess slowly stepped her way to the other side of the cave, almost excitedly, as she stepped up to the metal pedestal. She had crossed the cave.
Zess: Freedom. Oh boy. Freedom to choose whatever I wanted! I couldn't wait to surprise the others.
"This…," she said with a laugh, seeing the green exemption before her eyes. She reached down.
"Make me warm…little green thing," Zess said our loud with a grin, and she pressed down on the green button. All of a sudden, the loud click was emitted, and Zess could not be happier to leave the cave when the metal door opened.
"Goodbye! And please don't have any hard feelings if I finish the coffee back at the cabin, eh?" Stepping outside, it closed shut again.
Four people were left. And forty minutes remained to the finish the game. The exemption, still on the pedestal, shined out to them all.
Dashell: I had a feeling that as the numbers went down…the temptation could only intensify. I think we all wanted that exemption.
All of a sudden, the temperature dropped. And then the fighting within the cave began.
"Okay, but you're just ASSUMING that I'm going to take the exemption!" Dry Bones shouted with desperation. "But I'm not going to take it!"
"You were one of the FIRST people to volunteer to get the key…thus, you are on the suspect list," Piantissimo countered.
"Out of all people, you would be the LAST person I would send up there. So what makes you think we 're going to win this game?" Piantissimo stopped his talking for a second.
"I want to get out of the cave," Dry Bones moaned.
"But would you do it with a button or an exemption in your hand?" Dashell asked him. "Because that's the question that's making all of us not trust each other." Piantissimo sighed.
"I suppose we're never going to win this game, if none of us will trust each other," Piantissimo said, and he looked at Dry Bones with a grin, "unless I just run across there myself to the pedestal." They both looked at each other, then eyes locked across the ice. Dry Bone froze.
"No…you wouldn't."
"I would, as a matter of fact."
"If you ever start walking across, I'm…I'm going to step on the ice also," Dry Bones said with confidence. "And we're all going to break through the ice and fall!" Piantissimo's smile immediately vanished.
"Why, you boney, little-"
"Stop," spoke up the voice of the princess, and everyone turned to her. She was sitting on the floor, blocking her face from the increased cold.
"Please. You are acting like children. Enough." Everyone, realizing the reality of their cold surroundings, seemed to become quiet.
"It's…really…cold," Dry Bone realized, trying to breathe onto his hands.
Dashell: We were stuck. Because we couldn't even get one of us to trust the other person. So I just had to cave in.
"Honestly, Piantissimo, I have no problem with you going up there," Dashell began, as Piantissimo turned to his opponent in surprise. "But when you go up there, you better grab the exemption. Just like you've been saying to the others. Snifit, Tiny, and Zess." Piantissimo looked at Dashell, still silent from his sentence.
"If you would go now," Éclair spoke up, "I would trust you too." Piantissimo looked at both of them.
"You'd trust me to go up there?" was Piantissimo's reply. "But…"
"But what?" Piantissimo paused for a long while before replying.
"I do not know if I can truly stop myself from grabbing the exemption." Dashell hung his head, while Dry Bones moaned.
"What! You hypocrite!" Dry Bones shouted with annoyed anger. "How could you! You just wanted to stay till the end to grab the exemption for yourself, right?"
"Piantissimo, it would be selfish for you to leave us here to freeze to death," Éclair said, looking at him. "I cannot believe you would say that."
"Really? Really?! Would you rather me lie to you now and then grab the exemption when you send me up there?" Piantissimo replied to her, frustrated. "I am giving you a realistic truth…of what might happen..." The other three players were silent.
Dry Bones: Was Piantissimo…being honest for once?
"You could always change your mind…" Suddenly, all four players turned to the sound of crackling ice, and they all jumped for a second in panic. But then they realized that it was simply the sound of another being making their way over to them from their right side. It was where they had entered from, and once again, a person was making their second way to their very spot in the cave.
"Hello, players," came the voice of McHallyboo, and he held a large bag in his hands. Almost like a figure of St. Nicholas himself, his bag could only bring hope and curiosity in the players.
"I'm offering wool hats, gloves, face masks, and scarves," McHallyboo announced to them, pulling a few of the sample items of warmth and security from his bag and displaying it to the four remaining players.
"Oh my gosh, thank you!" Dry Bones cried with alacrity.
"Each item will cost you 5,000 coins," McHallyboo announced, and the hearts of the four players dropped. For a few seconds, no one knew what to say in the blistering cold. But Éclair, her eyes thinking, looking back at Piantissimo, then back at McHallyboo, said something.
"I would like some gloves please," she announced, and all three males stared at her with incredulity.
"Wait…what…?" Piantissimo sputtered. "Éclair, that costs money!"
"Éclair, what are you doing?" Dashell said carefully. She remained unmoved.
"And a wool hat, if you please," Éclair said, maintaining a straight face, as McHallyboo handed her the second object.
Piantissimo: What…the heck are you doing, Éclair? Those little wool objects were not free!
"You buy one more object, and you're just asking for this whole game to fall!" Piantissimo said, on his feet. "Do you want us to lose more money than we have already?!" Dashell, brain suddenly lit, couldn't help but hide his laugh. Éclair continued.
"And hmm, I believe a scarf will do fine-"
Piantissimo jumped up.
"Okay, okay!" Piantissimo groaned, stepping forwards with defeat to stop Éclair. "I get it. I'll walk across…and not grab the exemption. Just stop spending our pot on useless things." Éclair stopped, turning to Piantissimo.
"Is that…a promise?" she said, looking at him hard. "If it's not, then I will waste more money." Piantissimo paused, then let out a heavy sigh.
"Yes…it's a promise. You players are tricky. I wasn't even going to take the exemption anyway. Or at least I wasn't planning on it...until the very last moment, alone in this cave." Piantissimo frowned at Éclair.
"You just wasted 10,000 coins," he said to her with a scowl. "Very Moley of yourself, if I were to say so." Instead being affected, Eclair simply faced her opponent with an unmoved face.
"You speak like a Mole yourself," Eclair said with a little smile, directly at Piantissimo. Piantissimo scowled.
"You said it yourself," Dry Bones said, folding his arms and looking at Piantissimo. "You never know what you'd do when you're actually up there." He and Piantissimo exchanged a glare of glances.
Dry Bones: And just like that. We all let him walk across.
"Hmmph." Piantissimo let out a final sound. Everyone looked at him as he began to step forwards, towards the other side of the ice. Soon, he was taking his steady steps towards the pedestal. Then, when he reached the actual metal podium itself, with the card and the button upon it, he stopped. It was silence.
"Don't…" Dry Bones said silently. All three players back at base held their breathes.
Dry Bones: Oh snap. We were screwed. He was going to take it. He was going to throw 25,000 coins.
Éclair: As nervous as I was…I had confidence in what I had committed.
And then the button was pressed. As Piantissimo walked slowly out of the metal door, both Dry Bones' and Dashell's faces and mouths were open in shock, flabbergasted. But only Éclair smiled.
"A person…not even the Mole…could be that cruel," she said quietly.
Dashell: And it worked. Éclair did it. She knew that Piantissimo couldn't fathom the image of more money going down the drain? Why? Because Piantissimo believes he'll win this entire game in the end…or if he was the Mole, taking the exemption would be the most suspicious thing in the entire game.
It was just the three of them left. Dry Bones had grabbed the gloves for himself, and Éclair used the wool hat to cover her face. Dashell, in the increasing cold of the cave, had nothing but his own very coat.
"…I…can't feel my hands anymore." It was Round 5. The temperature, in that very cave, was equivalent of that in a walk-in freezer.
"…Guys…prepare yourselves for…another one," Dry Bones gulped, seeing a gust of snow make its way into their cave. They all shuddered, bracing themselves as a hit of wind struck them all. It was an unbearable cold, but they were forced to endure it.
"This…stupid tower…and its…manipulated environment," Dashell said between shivers. He faced Éclair, who was looking down at the ice floor of the cave in silence.
"That was really brave and creative of you, what you did to manipulate Piantissimo," he said, trying to keep his voice from cracking under the cold. Éclair looked up at him, surprised. She removed the winter cap from her face to speak.
"I am…sorry that I had cost the team ten thousand coins," she regretted, her face down facing the ice. "I…I could not think of anything else to stop Piantissimo." She faced Dry Bones.
"Dry Bones, that was the amount of money we had won in the Bus mission," Éclair said softly, closing her eyes from not the cold this time but sadness.. "I am so sorry." Dry Bones shook his head.
"No harm," Dry Bones said, managing to smile. "Remember what we agreed? Even though we lost by rules, we still won at heart." Éclair managed a smile as well.
"Guys…I feel like…I don't know if any of you agree…," Dry Bones began, as the two of them looked at him.
Dry Bones: I couldn't even talk because it was so cold. But I wanted to confess my feelings.
"I just don't think…the Mole is in this cave right now," Dry Bones said. "Something tells me that the Mole…left early…so they wouldn't be tempted to take the exemption." Dashell and Éclair looked at him.
"Me too," Dashell said openly.
"To avoid suspicion?" Eclair wondered. "Do you believe so?" Dry Bones slightly nodded, a bit uncertain though.
"If someone took the exemption, then all eyes and suspicions would be onto that person," Dry Bones explained, "and I don't think the Mole would want that." Éclair nodded.
Dashell: Even though Dry Bones is still suspicious, he had a point. But he's still suspicious and might be the agent of this game.
Dashell managed to let out a chuckle.
"Hmm, in that case…I should just take the exemption right now then," he said under his breath. "Then everyone would suspect me of…being the Mole."
"Just let me leave first," Dry Bones said jokingly, covering his face from the increased cold winds that managed to make its way into the cave. Suddenly, and catching them all off guard, was the third-to-last lighting of the green light.
"The light." All three players faced each other.
"Éclair, go," Dashell said, not facing her.
"But-"
"Go. I know you have been cold since Zess left." Éclair didn't know what else to say, but she stood up, nodded, and then looked at Dry Bones. Dry Bones managed a smile.
"Hurry and get warm…and get us money," he said to her, beckoning her on with his glove-warmed hands. With a small bow and gesture, she threw her hat towards Dashell, then walked off. Dashell looked up with surprise, and saw the princess making her way elegantly to the podium of temptation.
Éclair: To be granted this forgiveness and trust from my teammates…it warmed me from the cave's cold.
"The green light." Éclair looked down at the green light below her eyes, not glancing at the exemption even once. She pressed the button.
CLICK! The door, which had a frozen layer of ice on top of its metal exterior already, crunched and screeched in struggle to open, as Éclair covered her ears. Then, when it was open, she looked outside. Before exiting, she faced back to her two teammates, looking to them before exiting the area of the cave.
And then it was near the end of the game. Two players were left trapped within the terrible, icy, and drama-induced game.
The cave, which once held a group of seven prisoners, now only held two within its excruciating walls. The cold was now at its lowest temperature, surpassing that of a walk-in freezer. None of them talked.
Three minutes passed, then five, and then nine, but in the unbearable pain, it felt like forever for the last two individuals. One more person had to leave the room…and neither Dry Bones nor Dashell knew who would be the one to take the second to last step of the game…or possibly the very final one.
"It's….r-r-reall….y" Dry Bones could barely speak, coughed between puffs, "really…cold-d-d." He faced his teammate.
"What…are you…th-thinking to do?" Dry Bones said to him. Dashell shook his head, not bothering to look up.
"I knew…," Dashell began, "that the s-s-stage with the last two people…would be the most difficult." Dry Bones' eyes widened, then he looked down.
"Yeah," Dry Bones said slowly. "I was…going to…ear-er-erlier, not now anymore…" His voice seemed to die off. Dashell, on the ice floor, turned over to him.
"What?" he asked, interest perked but voice weak. "What was that?" Dry Bones, attention back up to him, spoke again.
"I was going to…you know, beforehand…take the…the-the-the…exemption." Dashell's face dropped.
"Really Dry Bones?" Dashell said flatly, forgetting about the cold for a second. "I guess the others were right."
"Hey, hey!" Dry Bones said defensively, actually standing up from the floor. "You guys…you guys….changed my-my-my mind! You guys…changed it for-for-for me! I d-d-don't want to steal anymore! I s-s-saw Piantissimo almost…steal! You guys…changed...ch-ch-changed me!" He immediately sat back down, teeth chattering. Quickly, he took the gloves and wrapped it around his head hastily, taking heavy pants and then eventually calming down.
"I…thought I'd be greedy but-but-but…teamwork is the best," Dry Bones, looking at Dashell, then putting his head down. "I-I-I….sorry. Dashell looked back at him, understanding. For a small second, the two of them sat there, as only the sounds of the approaching winds from outside the cave could be heard.
"Hey…" Dry Bones began. "I can make it up-p-p. If I-I leave, that'll leave no chance of me getting the exemption. And you can take it-t-t."
"What if I actually want the….m-mmoney?" Dashell said. Dry Bones let out the weakest of laughs.
"Well, I'm just saying that as the l-l-last person here, you deserve it," Dry Bones said. "But I'm going to walk…w-w-walk across now. And press the green button. Not the exemption. I p-p-promise. Not…exemp-p-p…." He stuck out his hand to shake Dashell's.
"Too cold," Dashell said, huddled against the wall of the cave. "Go before I-"
BEEP! The green light lit on. Getting up slowly, Dry Bones immediately headed off across the ice, but Dashell didn't both to watch him. As Dry Bones walked his way across the delicate ice, he saw the pedestal before him.
"It…it-it-it's right th-there." The exemption was within reach.
Dry Bones: I was in reach of it. And I could take it. Security into Episode 5.
He looked back at Dashell, across the other side of the cave.
Dry Bones: But only a cold-hearted Mole could do that. Put someone on death's row for your own sake.
Dry Bones pressed the green button, and a loud click was emitted, as the now-heavy doors that were frosted with a layer of crystal ice slowly tried to open. After a few seconds, it finally did, and Dry Bones let out a shout as he was let outside.
The exemption remained on the pedestal. And then there was one player left.
Dashell stood alone in the cave. With the ice surrounding him and around him, there were only limited choices. Two available choices were left for him to take it in order to end the game.
Another gust of wind blew in. The next minute, another. And then alone in the cave, Dashell realized that there was a wind gust coming in every minute of the game.
Dashell: If the Mole were in my position...what would they do?
"I can…take it…" he whispered to himself, the hat on his hand and gloves put to use completely to keep him from icing to death in the final ten minutes of the game. He looked at his side. Once full, now no one could stop him.
"Twenty…five…th-thousand…" He was speaking in incomprehensible sentences.
"…green light," he said under his breath, looking ahead of him. He waited.
"…options." He was talking to himself, thoughts barely clear and hampered by the cold he was enduring for the final moments of the game left.
"I have options…" he repeated. "Options…" The cold, once again, blew into the cave for the countless number of times that night.
BEEP! And then finally, the green light lit on, ending the suffering of the final player in the game.
Oh…gosh. I definitely made this game sound more painful than any other variant of any Mole game. Not even the cold in Season 5 could compare to this kind of…would you call this cave mission borderline torture? Haha.
I saw Frozen yesterday, so not only was it a beautiful movie but it oomphed my images of freezing atmosphere and gave me a more realistic writing image of the players freezing in a cave. It definitely gave me some pictures xD
Thanks so much for these reviews from you guys! : ) make me smile! Let me reply! Please!
Princess Toady:Ah, good clue point! But as you know me, yes, I am a sucker for putting red herrings here and there xP. And ah, about your mention of "X's and O" (to stay obscure for those who don't know, hehe) good memory on that! But don't fret! This story is full of real other clues and I have no doubt you be stumbling upon one of them from your intelligence! And then I'll be biting my nails when you do : )
FredtheMontyMole: Oh man, I almost forgot…that this cave was virtual. Until I read your review again and remembered they were all in a virtual tower. And this isn't real. And the ice isn't real. But is the cold real? Hur hur, McHallyboo is probably a sadist and blasts jets of cold air from super-sadistic air conditioners within the building, making them feel actual pain. Those most be strong air conditioners. And YES, the extra player count! Just what will happen next episode? ; D
sixthsense6: If you think it deep enough, almost all players are fishy! But no haha yes, some definitely more than others! Makes you raise an eyebrow here and there when they do and say something, right? And thanks, I will! : )
Dark Punxysaur: Ah, good predictions of this ice mission! You really nailed it on some parts. Except Éclair left a bit later, while Piantissimo (cough I meant "Jerkface xD) never took the exemption, but no, good job on nailing components of what actually happened! Ooh, and your final five prediction is so fascinating! Makes me think well and hard, despite it being correct or wrong. Thanks Punxy!
Moley Koopa: LOL, right? Oh, hmm, well I guess that's just Dry Bones! He kind of reminds me of myself…his random awkward sputterings. You got close with your mission predictions of the cave game! And oh yes, coalitions! Coalition predictions are always awesome…but could you almost count the relations built within the cave mission between Dashell and the other players borderline coalition, or not? It's tricky!
Fanfict1315125: The truth is quite final: anyone can be the Mole! Well, minus McHallyboo from that list, haha. And no worries: the sabotage by the Mole is the most cunning of sabotage of them all. Just which player is it?
PaloozaChu: I just had to make this mission ice/cold related! Hehe. Oh and about one of the guys fainting…I couldn't do that due to risk of medical personnel having to run and rescue the players and ruin the game, lol! And about the PM's, yes! Let me get to those soon! When this chapter uploads…which is now.
ElisaMichelle123: Ah, I'm such a sucker for twists. For that, please forgive me hehe. And don't worry! I feel like you have a really good mind at analyzing things : ) you're gonna probably get one of the twists in store, now that you're so alert! And ah, yes, good Mole predictions! Just what will be in store as this episode ends? Since there are only 7 floors in this building?
Guest: No fret no fret! Glad to see you back : ) Ah, your Mole predictions and great and on! You brought up some good points in those. Some people just do things or are surrounded by certain circumstances that are just…fishy. And oh goodness, the producers being the Mole. Well, that's half-true, haha.
Luigenius: Oh gosh it's fate! I happy to see ya as I finally about to cut off the chapter! Haha, that almost seems to happen for some reason. Is it fate? Your hastiness? Lol. And Im too happy to hear that you'll be reading my story over on Christmas break! ah it gives me warm feelings ^^ you know, I should do that too! I'm so lazy to read my OWN story sometimes, haha it's pathetic. Thanks for pushing me!
Thanks guys! Hope you all had an awesome turkey day! Next holiday: Rudolph's day!
And the year's almost over too! Just a month of December left…but December is fun anyway so lol. Unfortunately for me, Imma college student now and I have finals. Oh gosh. So forgive me if I don't update the next episode-final chapter as fast as I did this one!
Imma still attempt though hehe! OH AND ONE MORE THING! POLL ON THE TOP OF MY PROFILE! : )
Poll: Episode 4's Icy End: Who is the Mole?
The next person will leave in the next chapter…and this time, permanently from the game for good.